A Wrinkle in Time - Review

A Wrinkle in Time is in theaters on March 9th, 2018

Before A Wrinkle in Time begins, the director Ava DuVernay comes on screen and gives the audience a message. She thanks us for coming to the theater, and also tells us to let the 11 or 12-year- old inside of us come out to experience this movie. In the moment, I was excited for the imaginative adventure I was about to experience, but very early into the film, I realized that this message was more of an apology.

Before I continue with that idea, let’s look at the positives of this film. I think this film is great for the children of today. It touches on bullying, depression, and also understanding what others may be going through behind closed doors. It will help teach kids about empathy and love while also sparking their imaginations. It empowers young women like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to see the warriors that become leaders because of this film.

Our lead actress Storm Reid, is going to be an absolute star. This girl is phenomenal for being a 14-year- old actress. I cannot wait to see her grow and become a big name in Hollywood. Also, Deric McCabe who plays her little brother in the film, needs to be on Broadway right now and never leave the acting world because he is also an unbelievable talent. And lastly, although not necessarily groundbreaking, the visuals in the film are well done and I enjoyed every world and dimension that the film visited.

Now that the positives are over, let’s get back to Ava’s message. A few minutes into the film, I realized that her message was asking for adults and film fans to turn off their brains for this film, so that we can look past the horrible editing and sometimes cringe-worthy script that is unfolding in front of us. Many films aimed at children understand how to mix the experience in way to suit both kids and adults, but this seems to have failed. The script that is given to actresses like Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling and especially Reese Witherspoon, is a complete waste. Witherspoon was nothing but annoying throughout the entire film, and I find myself despising her voice every time I heard it.

After the film was over, I took it upon myself to find the official runtime of A Wrinkle in Time, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it falls exactly on the two-hour mark. Ava was most definitely asked to cut as much of the film as she could, for the younger audience to only have to sit through a two-hour film. There are countless scenes that are edited in such a jolting way that it’s obvious there were shots filmed in between cuts that have been removed. This editing style seems to vanish by the beginning of the third act, where the climax of the film starts to pick up, and I never had another problem with it afterwards.

Also, there is a moment towards the end of the film that is absolutely terrible in terms of parenting and a child’s experience with one of their parents, which is completely looked over and resolved in the final minutes of the film with a heartfelt hug. I think many will know what I’m talking about after seeing the film, but I was beyond confused with the choice.

If it isn’t obvious, I am pretty disappointed in A Wrinkle in Time. Ava DuVernay is an unbelievable director and storyteller, but I think this source material was too much to adapt in only two-hours of film. If you’re a parent or an older sibling that is taking a child to the theater, I think they will learn life lessons while also having a lot of fun. But as an adult that was hoping this could be a classic to show my kids in 10-years, I hate to say that this film will be completely forgotten by the time summer rolls around.

Rating: 2.9 out of 5

Logan (Contributor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube as half of the CraZCouple or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.
Click Here to check out Logan's Articles.

A Wrinkle in Time is Disney’s latest film that follows Meg Murry as she struggles through the difficulties of middle school and the effects on her and her family’s lives after disappearance of her father. Her younger brother introduces her to three celestial beings who help them embark on a journey across several worlds to find their father while also teaching them to embrace their true selves. Can a Wrinkle in Time reach the true Disney magic or is it just a spritz of glitter?

Going into watching this movie I was not sure what to expect especially since the genre is so different from the other types made from the director Ava DuVernay. In the end I was pleased as I felt like a I was transported from my seat into a fantasy world filled with all sorts of whimsical beings, places and outfits.

The visuals from this movie were mesmerizing and with every place the main characters traveled to I was in awe. The details of all the costumes were well worth the watch as well as the people wearing them.

The celestial beings’, Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) performances were superb. They were quirky and goddess-like which worked well between the three actresses. The siblings also did a great job as the main character Meg was intelligent but bullied and had low self esteem that she struggled with throughout the movie while her younger brother Charles Wallace was intelligent, confident and fearless. The contrast between the two worked well and the actor playing Charles Wallace should win an award for his acting in this movie.

While the characters were great, I will say that in some place the storyline was lacking and choppy. This tends to happen however with book to movie films in my opinion and this one is no exception. I would recommend reading the book or at least reading a character synopsis if you can to get a better understanding of the characters even though the plots differ.

Also worth mentioning this movie gets dark/evil in a few scenes to the point that made me forget its PG rating. At one point this movie was pushing into nightmare territory for a younger audience.

While a Wrinkle in Time is not my favorite Disney movie it was interesting to watch to say the least. I think it reached a magical place though and left a light in my heart and I think its message can help a lot of people, especially the younger generation.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ashley (Senior Contributor) is an Orlando native who loves watching movies. Her favorite genres include comedies, thrillers and sci-fi.
Click Here to check out Ashley's Articles.

The film adaptation of the classic book by Madeleine L'Engle comes to life in this visually stunning and heartfelt movie.

Meg Murray (played by Storm Reid) is a self-conscious young girl who’s constantly fighting off bullies and trying to make it through middle school. With the help of her younger brother she meets three magical witches and sets off on a quest to find her missing father.

I haven’t read the book but I did enjoy the movie. The graphics are beautiful and so is the message. Storm Reid was amazing as meg and I enjoyed the cameos also. I think if you use your imagination and open your mind you’ll really enjoy this movie also.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Ashley K. (Contributor) is a frequent traveler currently living in San Diego. She's a super nerd who enjoys all kinds of movies and doesn't always think the book was better.
Click Here to check out Ashley K's Articles.

I wanna say that I was assigned to read this book in maybe fourth or fifth grade. Whenever it was, after seeing this movie, I can tell you that my underdeveloped brain couldn't possibly have grasped the gravity of it.

This is a heavy story that -- while fascinating -- was difficult for me as an adult.
Truth be told, I probably didn't read the book and guessed my way through the test. Please, no one tell Oprah.
Meg (Storm Reid) and her little brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), live with their mother, Kate (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who is a doctor of the sciences. Ever since the mysterious disappearance of their astrophysicist father, Alex (Chris Pine) 4 years prior, Meg and Charles Wallace now face the fallout of such a odd event.

Meg, feeling lost and unsure of herself, faces bullying from her classmates -- because children are monsters -- and doesn't seem to find any solace at home, either. In attempting to keep her father's memory alive, Meg argues with her mother. That's a lot of turmoil for a little girl to have on her shoulders.

Fortunately, Charles Wallace has some plans in the works that are going to change everything.
When a boy from school -- Calvin (Levi Miller) -- arrives to visit Meg one day, Charles Wallace has some visitors as well; three astral goddesses.
Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) is the first to make contact with little Charles W. Next is Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), who can only speak in quotes. Finally, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) who appears to be the ringleader.
Mrs. Which alleviates some of Megs bewilderment by explaining that they heard a call for their father and the three are here now to help locate him. To do this, they'll be tessering AKA traveling through time.
Meg remains wildly skeptical, but grows hopeful with each strange new interaction. Before the end, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin will face challenges greater than any they've overcome before. Treacherous and mischievous, their journey is frightening and sometimes feels insurmountable.

The story showcases the power of the human will and the strength we can summon in our darkest places.
That said, the film itself unfortunately falls a bit flat. Ava DuVernay has indeed done something remarkable with this movie, but I'm afraid the writing just wasn't as solid as it could have been.
The take home message of Wrinkle is a promising one; simply, be kind. With all of the ugliness that exists, a single selfless gesture could change the course of someone's day, maybe even their life.

I wish that writer Jennifer Lee had embraced a bit more humor, but she did give Meg a tangibly relatable quality that's going to be easy for young people to grab and hold on to.
Carrying a good message for the youths, this movie had a hard time holding my attention, so I have to imagine it might be even more difficult to engage children.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Katie (Contributor) is a cinephile and Chicago native who has been reviewing film for nearly a decade. Her heroes include Roger Ebert and Jay Sherman -- it stinks!
Click Here to check out Katie's Articles.